What happens when the AI replaces your eye? This mystery adventure game was both developed and published by Spike Chunsoft, who are probably best known for their contributions to the Pokémon and Dragon Quest franchises. This game is decidedly unlike those others, however, and the jury is out on how our hosts would classify this game's genre. Living somewhere between an old school point and click game like Myst and a more modern visual novel game like Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, this game i...
Nov 11, 2021•21 min•Ep. 47
With a title like this, you know Square Enix is involved. Series creator Yoko Taro has directed every game in this franchise with the exception of Drakengard 2... which is a confusing statement because this game revolves around a war between androids and machines and those Drakengard games focus on swinging swords and flying around on dragons. Nevertheless, we have it on good authority that they are indeed connected. This particular episode is about the "action RPG" developed by PlatinumGames bu...
Nov 04, 2021•20 min•Ep. 46
After simulating goats, it was only natural to simulate the whole farm. It's hard to know where this entry falls in the vast array of Farming Simulator titles that have been released since 2008. What is known is that they were all developed by Giants Software and their gameplay revolves around managing a farm. Will an utter lack of agricultural knowledge mean that our hosts are completely out of their depth or will the game show them the ropes? The longevity of this series implies that the gamep...
Oct 28, 2021•20 min•Ep. 45
This game made the Mass Effect series a quadrilogy, just like Alien films… uh oh. When your first foray into a series is the fourth entry, it is pretty likely that you are going to feel a bit lost. Fortunately for our hosts, playing this action RPG developed by BioWare does not require that you spent 80+ hours playing the prior trilogy first. With a fresh set of characters and a new story set outside The Milky Way, this game endeavors to be approachable to anyone. The question is, will just one ...
Oct 21, 2021•29 min•Ep. 44
If you are underwater and it's below zero, aren’t you just frozen in ice? Because the “Surprise Me” button clearly enjoys skipping the first entry in every series, on this episode our hosts dive right in to the 2021 sequel to 2018’s Subnautica. Hopefully continuity will not be a major factor in this first-person, survival game developed and published by Unknown Worlds Entertainment. Our hosts have heard quite a lot about the original game, but surprisingly little about this second entry in the s...
Oct 14, 2021•25 min•Ep. 43
This podcast has covered a lot of games… but can it run Crysis? On this episode, our hosts finally get around to trying the 2011 sequel to Crytek’s acclaimed first person shooter. All things considered, it is no small feat that our duo has managed to avoid this series for as long as they have. As you can imagine, this sets some dangerously high expectations… will the second installment live up to the hype? Will a story helmed by acclaimed author Richard K. Morgan be able to hook our hosts in jus...
Oct 07, 2021•24 min•Ep. 42
Traditionally you need to leave your home to forage, this game solves that. With the Xbox Game Pass “Surprise Me” button at the wheel, every game selection is a surprise! For this episode, Tom and Chris have spent an hour with HopFrog’s hybrid idle adventure game. Like many other incremental games, this one is known for being both simple and grindy, so that is sure to shape their feelings about this distinctly indie title. Will our hosts enjoy the break from their daily lives or will this game f...
Sep 30, 2021•24 min•Ep. 41
Does this simulate being the greatest of all time? Nope, it’s the other kind of goat. Xbox Game Pass has a lot of strange offerings and when you approach their library randomly, you end up playing some novel entries. Developed and Published by Coffee Stain Studios, this third-person physics sandbox is certainly among them. Speaking of surprises, this game has also been around since 2014 and somehow neither of our hosts has ever played it. Now the question becomes, will sowing chaos as a farm ani...
Sep 23, 2021•23 min•Ep. 40
We do not recommend attempting to survive in the frozen wilderness unless you are doing it from the safety of your living room. For this episode, we spent an hour with the first-person survival game developed and published by Hinterland Studio. If you did not already guess, we can confirm that this one is definitely an indie title... with writing, directing, and design credits all pointing to Raphael van Lierop. Don't be fooled by its humble beginnings, though, this game has seen many updates si...
Sep 16, 2021•23 min•Ep. 39
What if Jaws was actually about loneliness… and also had multiple monsters? On the surface, this episode is about is a platforming adventure game developed by Jo-Mei Games and published by Electronic Arts. Lurking below, however, is a story about coming to grips with depression and its many causes. How will we feel about tackling such a sobering narrative? Will the gameplay be compelling enough to keep us playing after the hour is up? This game may be about unraveling a mystery, but our thoughts...
Sep 02, 2021•23 min•Ep. 38
Are you ready for some (American) football? Not to be confused with the one where feet are in constant contact with the ball, we instead hit the gridiron and recount our experience with 2019's entry in the popular football franchise. Developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts, this title has no shortage of virtual athleticism while also introducing a personalized career mode. Have the developers packed in enough RPG to keep Tom's interest... or will he want to quit as soon as he di...
Aug 26, 2021•24 min•Ep. 37
How do you feel about breaking into your neighbor's house? Our curiosity has gotten the better of us as we attempt to sneak into our creepy neighbor’s house in this stealth game developed by Dynamic Pixels. As an added bonus, we are bringing two-thirds of The Crowned Heathens along with us for the breaking and entering! We also have the Xbox Game Pass “Surprise Me” button on deck to blame for any emotional distress this game may cause our guests. Speaking of distress, will Chris be able to stoma...
Aug 19, 2021•22 min•Ep. 36
Is this the one with the soccer cars? Nope, this is the one with (wait for it) an arena full of rockets! Our friend the Xbox Game Pass “Surprise Me” button has decided we are reviewing a multiplayer online battle arena for this episode. Developed by Final Strike Games and published by Electronic Arts, this game is definitely a third person shooter, but it also shares DNA with games from other genres as well. Will our hosts enjoy a game where the main focus is playing online against other players...
Aug 12, 2021•24 min•Ep. 35
Do you like riding mountain bikes? How about from the comfort of your couch? The Xbox Game Pass “Surprise Me” button has picked something decidedly different for this episode. Get your helmet and pads ready because we are taking a look at the downhill mountain biking game developed by RageSquid. Inspired by the extreme sports games of their youth, the Dutch studio set out to capture that experience for a modern audience. The question is, did they succeed? More importantly, will tumbling repeated...
Aug 05, 2021•22 min•Ep. 34
What happens when four players simultaneously attempt a physics platformer? On this episode, we are joined by Joe and Darwin from "How Did We Miss This?" to check out the puzzle-platform game developed by Tomas Sakalauskas and published by Curve Digital. The HDWMT crew has some experience with this title and volunteered to guide us through our standard hour of gameplay. Will their intervention thumb the scale in the game's favor? Will four people "interacting" in a physics-heavy game lead to com...
Jul 29, 2021•26 min•Ep. 33
This game sounds suspiciously like Tom's Blind Guardian Song of the Week! Back in the 1980's there was a trilogy of fantasy RPG games that captured the hearts of many PC gamers. Three decades after that trilogy went dormant, inXile Entertainment has successfully crowdfunded and released this fourth installment. How will this dungeon crawler stack up to the reputation of its franchise? Will knowledge of that old franchise be crucial to enjoy this newer title? Does the fact that one of our hosts p...
Jul 22, 2021•21 min•Ep. 32
How many of these card games are on Game Pass? Are we destined to find out? Is it possible that the "Surpise Me" button has attained sentience? For this episode, it has selected another "card & board" game for us play! Developed and published by Tinogames Inc, this title is described as a "strategic, deck-building game" and that definitely sets some expectations. How will this game stack up against Nowhere Prophet? We will be compelled to dust off our Magic: The Gathering decks after the hou...
Jul 15, 2021•21 min•Ep. 31
What happens when you blend together a chose your own adventure book and a collectible card game? Returning from its vacation, the Xbox Game Pass "Surprise Me" button is back to work and has selected a roguelike with tactical, card-based combat for this episode. Developed by Sharkbomb Studios and released in 2019, this game has managed to fly completely under our collective radar. Will we regret missing it until now? Will this fusion of multiple game genres prove to be more like Vegito or more l...
Jul 08, 2021•24 min•Ep. 30
This is not a sketch comedy show, please don't sue us. It may shock you to learn that the Xbox Game Pass "Surprise Me" Button makes some of our decisions but not all of them. We were asked what we have been playing besides games for this show, so we are taking the opportunity to share some insight into our offline gaming habits. We discuss Tom's current love for VR and the growing backlog that haunts poor Chris. If you want to get to know your hosts a little bit better, give this bonus episode a...
Jul 02, 2021•11 min
Don't let the roman numeral fool you, this isn't actually the fifth GTA... It is a small miracle that one of our hosts has managed to avoid playing this Triple-A action-adventure sandbox title for as long as he has! Developed by Rockstar North and published back in 2013, this game has appeared on just about every platform out there. On this episode, we are joined by Curt from the Half Hour Bros Podcast and he will help us determine if one of our hosts has spent the past decade missing out. Will ...
Jul 01, 2021•22 min•Ep. 29
So is Ori a monkey, a rabbit, or a fox? Wait a sec... how about a lombax? On this episode, we give the surprise me button the day off and play a game requested by our listeners! To add to the drama, we have conscripted those very listeners to defend their recommendation! How's that for a monkey's paw? How will we feel after an hour of playing this platforming Metroidvania-style game developed by Moon Studios? Will we learn the will of the wisps while we play? Probably not... but you will learn o...
Jun 24, 2021•28 min•Ep. 28
The year is 2021 and we are grappling with a pandemic... also we play a game about it. You can tell this one is random because playing a video game based on a board game about managing a pandemic while living through an actual pandemic is probably not at the top of our to-do lists. Well, the "Surprise Me" button has spoken and we are obliged to acquiesce. What will we think of Asmodee Digital's translation of the acclaimed tabletop game? Will we be able to solve our fictional pandemics quicker t...
Jun 17, 2021•22 min•Ep. 27
Ever feel like the weather is out to get you? Well... it is. The random titles chosen by the Xbox Game Pass "Surprise Me" button continue this week. For this episode, our dynamic duo were tasked with spending an hour playing a funny, quirky puzzle game developed by Unbound Creations. Will our hosts use the power of Zeus to make the world a happier place or will they rain mercilessly on all the denizens of this cartoon world? The clock is ticking! Press play and our hosts will bring the thunder.....
Jun 10, 2021•20 min•Ep. 26
Sure, on the surface it's clearly a game about mining, but is the title also foreshadowing something else? Our hosts have been tasked with descending into the dark to harvest precious metals and locate the source of some unsettling noises in this action-adventure, roguelike game by Thorium Entertainment. What will they unearth as they spend an hour with the game? Will this random Xbox Game Pass title turn out to be a real gem? Will there be even worse puns in the episode or was this all of them?...
Jun 03, 2021•23 min•Ep. 25
If you thought we took a break from games to watch a horror film... you probably googled the wrong title. On this episode, our hosts talk about their hour-long experience with the single player adventure game developed by the very indie studio Infinite Fall. Originally funded on Kickstarter, this game has made its way on to Xbox Game Pass and was randomly selected by the "Surprise Me" button for review. Will this game live up to prior expectations? Will an hour of game time reveal enough of the ...
May 27, 2021•21 min•Ep. 24
The fuzz is out to stop reckless racers in this twentieth(!) installment of the famous racing game franchise. Our hosts might be considered "rivals" of a sort, but will they feel "the need for speed" while playing this arcade racer developed by Ghost Games? The Xbox Game Pass "Surprise Me" button is clearly interested in the answer because it has selected this particular title from the myriad of options included in the game library. Will Tom get lost in the car customization? Will Chris just get...
May 20, 2021•24 min•Ep. 23
May 14, 2021•29 sec
What do you get when you combine acclaimed comic book artist Joe Madureira with a turn-based RPG? For this episode, the Xbox Game Pass "Surprise Me" button has landed on an interesting choice. Both Tom and Chris are certain to bring some amount of unconscious bias to their hour with this turn-based RPG developed by Airship Syndicate and published by THQ Nordic. Will they be able to look past their personal attachments and deliver a fair review? Will Chris finally get the Battle Chasers ending th...
May 13, 2021•22 min•Ep. 22
It's time for shootin' and lootin' in a post-apocalyptic world filled with punks and marauders... If there's one thing we should all know by now, it's that the Xbox Game Pass "Surprise Me" button sure likes to make Tom and Chris experience the apocalypse. On this episode, the guys review their hour of play time with Rage 2, an action-packed first-person shooter developed by Avalanche Studios in conjunction with id Software. Will it matter that our hosts have never played the first game? Will the...
May 06, 2021•21 min•Ep. 21
"Dungeon" sounds promising, "Endless" not so much, especially when we only have an hour on the clock. For this episode, Tom and Chris found an hour to join up and tackle this random selection from Xbox Game Pass together. How will the two of them feel about this roguelike tower defense game developed by Amplitude Studios? Will the bias of playing cooperatively taint their review? Will help from random strangers boost or hinder their desire to keep playing once the hour is up? There's only one wa...
Apr 29, 2021•18 min•Ep. 20
